Rectify (Return to Us Trilogy #2) (2 page)

"Nothing but static," I say to him, feigning disappointment. He looks surprised the tape is blank, but nods that he's not going to question it.

I march back to interrogation room four to get some answers. The surveillance footage makes no sense. A quick glance at the corner of the room verifies the camera is still unplugged. The metal chair screeches when I jerk it across the floor and take a seat across from Jude's brother.

I link my fingers together on the table. Minutes pass like hours.

"Okay, you've done enough talking. My turn." He doesn't respond to my tease. Well, I thought it was funny. "Tell me your name."

Silence.

Just when I think he's mute, his youthful lips part, and a soft voice emerges from his throat. "Trip."

With a snort, I lower my head. Seriously, kid? Trip? Like trip over a rug? Or, wanna go on a trip?

Raising my head, I stare at him. "I meant your real name, son." Nothing. No words or movement. Damn, this kid's good.

"I'm not your son." He scowls at me, and fury pours from his eyes. Touchy subject? Hey, kid, we all have daddy issues. Get over it.

Holding my hands up in defense, I laugh. "Okay, okay. You're right."

Strike two.

"Listen. I'm here because your brother Jett—uh, Jude—asked me to come help you. Not sure why considering you seem like a little prick. I'm here as a favor to him, but I have to know what happened. The ball's in your court."

Zilch.

"You do realize Jude is saving your ass tonight? Since you're eighteen and took your stepdad's car without permission, I could have you locked up right now."

In a snarky tone, he answers. "What? Do you want an award, old man?" Old man? I'm in my forties, you little jackass!

Strike three. You're out, kid.

"If you wanted to piss me off, you've succeeded. What I want to know is why you would take the hit for this one."

Comprehension streams across his face. He drops his gaze to the table and taps his finger. Must be his tell. Although, I'm impressed he thinks before replying. Viktor doesn't. "Yeah, I've seen the gas station footage," I say.

He meets my eyes again. "If you already know what happened, why the fuck are you asking me?"

"Watch your language." Where the hell did that come from? I swear like a sailor on fleet week.

Silence. He taps his finger.

I sit back in the uncomfortable chair and examine his potential. With his poise, he'd be an excellent candidate for the council's training program. He and Jett could be a powerful team if they stay on course.

"I'm asking you because the officer said you were behind the wheel of the Mustang, and the footage clearly shows the girl driving. That's why I'm asking you... son."

Present day

Ivy

Bang
!

Out of instinct, I hit the floor. The gunshot reverberates through the sound system and feels like a bomb exploded in the club.

Bryn! Jacade!

I press my sweaty palms flat against the cold floor¸ silently praying for both of them. The tip of my nose touches the floor, and I try not to cry.

"Get up. We need to go. Now!" Shane's voice booms in my ears. Strong hands grip underneath my arms and pull me to my feet. Barrel-like arms wrap around me and drag me toward the back door of the office.

His hold is unyielding. "Shane, wait! What happened?" I struggle to turn and look back through the one-way mirror to see the dance floor, but he's pulling me too fast. "What if Bryn is hurt?" Or Jacade?

I feel sick. This is all my fault.

I yell with all the might I can muster. "Shane, stop! Please!" At the bottom of the stairs, he turns and looks straight into my eyes. "Listen, my orders are to protect you. No one else. So that's what I'm going to do, whether you like it or not."

I know I'm going to lose this battle with him, but I'll keep fighting until the end. That's what I do.

Without warning, he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. My head ricochets as I flail against his back. I hit him with my balled-up fists, but he's a rock. He blasts through to the alley and drops me in the back of the Escalade. He slams the door and hustles into the driver's seat.

***

Ivy

After more futile pleading with Shane, I give up and slump down in the backseat. I press the side of my head to the cool window and let tears stream down my face. I have no idea where he's taking me, but I know it's far away from the people I want to be with.

I hug my stomach and put my spinning head between my knees.

I can't lose Bryn. I can't lose Bryn. I can't lose Bryn. Please, I can't lose Bryn.

I rock back and forth chanting this in my head until I realize that my plea has changed.

I can't lose Bryn or Jacade. I can't lose Bryn or Jacade. I can't lose Bryn or Jacade. Please, I can't lose Bryn or Jacade.

A cloud of blackness fills my vision. I can't breathe.

***

Jacade

In the darkness of Ivy's living room, she looks as majestic as she did the night I brought her home drunk. I place my hands on my hips, letting my sports jacket hang open, and stare at her. She's asleep on her couch, still in her club dress, with her head turned away from me and her slim legs tucked underneath her. Her left arm is draped gingerly over her lace-covered torso, her breath shallow.

In then out. In then out. In then out.

I could watch her like this all night. She looks peaceful. Gentle. Not the usual firecracker I'm used to. The heat kicks on and the swaying blinds cut the moonlight shadows like fireflies doing the jig along the soft lines of her body.

I had to see for myself that she was okay. Shane's text said she was rocking herself in the back seat, chanting and pleading with him to take her back to club. He thinks she hyperventilated and passed out. At least she's alive. Thank fuck Shane followed my instructions and got her out of the building. No way in hell was Viktor getting to her.

I look through her cupboards for a water glass and find a bottle of Cuervo. Even better. The burn tickles the tip of my tongue, covers my throat, and pools in my stomach. In the belly of the beast. That's what I needed.

I place my palms on the cool granite and roll my neck. I take a deep breath and process tonight's events. Viktor. Damn him.

Dread fills my body like the first snow of winter. What if I'm not able to stop him next time? What if… No. No next time. I have to end him. For good.

The Rx watermark on a piece of paper pinned on her refrigerator catches my eye. I turn on my phone flashlight app to read what she has scrawled on the back.

Only Ivy would explain her list to herself. The list embodies Ivy's strongest attributes; She's precise, fearless, and strong willed. I'm touched she saved the note I wrote telling her to take Tylenol and fluids for her hangover.

Ivy's bucket list. I've got this.

***

Jacade

Her list gave my soul a much needed laugh. I pause at the foyer and hang my head. Bernard's waiting to hear from me, but I'm depleted and parched like I've trekked through the desert for days. Ivy is my oasis and I'm not leaving. I've taken too many steps away from her in my lifetime, and I'm done doing it. All I want is to hold her in my arms and fall asleep listening to her heartbeat.

Come on, man. Responsibility before gratification.

I will myself to step forward, but stop when two delicate arms circle my midsection. Ivy. I didn't want to wake her. She links her fingers on my stomach and rests her cheek on my back.

"You okay? Is Bryn… here? Where's Vik—" She's still out of it.

I lie my palm over her hand and angle my chin to my shoulder. "Yes, I'm all right." I squeeze her fingers. "Bryn's fine." Her question about Viktor can wait. No more thinking about him tonight.

"I was so... and then Shane wouldn't tell me what happened." Her pitiful tone coats me in guilt for ordering Shane to remove her from the building. I did it to protect her, and I'd do it again without hesitation.

It will always be my life for hers.

"I know, I know. We're all safe. I wouldn't have let anything happen to you or Bryn." As I turn toward her, I run my hand along her arm, making sure she remains wrapped around me. I lift her face to mine and gaze at the moonlight glittering in her enchanting eyes. The thought of Viktor almost getting to her tonight cuts me beyond repair.

The urge to have her overtakes my senses. I have to claim her. Right now. The only way I can be certain she's safe is if I'm buried deep inside her.

I clutch her hips and walk her backward to the couch. I lick her bottom lip and suckle it between mine. I'm Romeo extracting the poisonous liquid from my Juliet's body.

I lay her on her back, and she yawns and stretches her languid body. With one leg on the floor, I move between her thighs. I balance with my right forearm above her head and rest my left palm along her face, brushing her sleepy eyes with my thumb.

I need to make love to this implausibly sexy, resilient woman. No dirty talk tonight. No games, tourniquets, or latex gloves. Her and I. Conjoined and safe in our cocoon.

Sitting on my knees, I grip the hem of her dress. She lifts her hips to aid me in raising it above her breasts. Her dress squeezes her tits together making my cock leap in the direction of her pussy. Her nipples stand rigid and ready for my lips.

The lace dress looked magnificent on her, but her naked curves are infinitely more alluring. I rub my finger across her bottom lip. She sucks it into her mouth and swirls her tongue around the tip like the first taste of a melting ice-cream cone.

I trace my damp finger over her chin and down her throat, dipping into the hollow. I move down her sternum and under her left breast. Her eyes close, her mouth pops open, and her back arches. I draw a figure eight around the outsides of her breasts, lingering over each arch, and ending at her nipple. I trail my finger over her stomach in a zigzag, sink into her belly button, and loiter on her pelvic bone.

Her rounded cartilage transfixes me. I envision my dick thrusting above and below her bone as an x-ray machine captures our gluttonous fucking. That's a picture I want hanging above my bed. Goosebumps materialize on her porcelain skin as I run my finger along the rigid bone of her hip. Her stomach muscles clench, and I know she's waiting in anticipation of where I might go next.

I nuzzle her neck and hover my middle finger over her clit. Her breath catches when I add pressure and skim my finger south. As she inhales, I thrust my finger into her. Her hips buck into the air.

I add another finger and knead her clit with my thumb. She entrances me with an enthusiastic ride on my fingers, her juices running down into my palm. From the count of her breaths, I can tell she's almost there. I remove my fingers and press my palm flat on her pelvic bone. Her hips stop grinding and her breathing slows.

Atta girl. I need you ready not finished.

She watches with hooded eyes as I take my coat off and drape it over the couch. I yank my shirt from my pants and unbutton my cuffs, rolling my sleeves to my elbows.

She bends at the waist to kiss me and unbutton my shirt. She finishes with the buttons and pushes my shirt over my shoulders. I free my hands and drop the shirt on the floor. She licks her lips and fiddles with my belt. After freeing the hook from the loop, she undoes my dress pants. She pinches and pulls the elastic band of my boxer briefs and seizes her prize underneath.

I'm with her, in her arms and in her hands. Craving. Longing. For her and only her.

She rubs the length of my solid shaft like she's washing stubborn dirt off a cucumber. She points it to her wet opening. She wants it. I want it. My mind spins. My passion for her has clouded my vision and constricted my airflow.

I pull back to collect myself. My nerves pulsate with animalistic testosterone. This is Ivy. Not some perfunctory fuck. Ivy is not Kara. I wrap my hand around her neck and ease her head to the throw pillow.

The tip of my cock presses to her soft flesh, but her tight entrance stonewalls me. I rest my forehead on hers and gasp for air. Her hands meet my cheeks in understanding. She feels this emotional tsunami too. No other woman has ever come remotely close to this. She's it. My key holder. There will be no one else. Until my dying day.

I plunge the head of my dick through the gates of her snug pussy, and she summons my cock in with ease. As I push farther in, her muscles constrict and ingest my length inch by inch. I bottom out and her jaw drops. So warm and toasty... ribbed... slippery.

Fuck. I'm home.

We say nothing and keep our foreheads sealed together. Our breath mingles in the space between our lips.

Damn, this perfect pussy of hers. If I could, I would shove my cock so far into her, he'd never come back. We'd have to send a canary in to see if he was still alive.

I pull back and plunge all the way back in. My rhythm is slow at first, but it's not long before I can't hold back any longer and pick up the pace. I grab her left calf and put it on my right shoulder. I twist my hips so my groin mashes against her exposed clit. My dick thrusts up against her G-spot, and I pump into her with all my being. Sweat slides down my face and onto her tits. I'm coating her with me in every way.

I drop my head and latch onto her peaked nipple as I drive into her. Her hands fly to my hair, and her body shakes. She's close. I sit up on my knees and press my toes into the couch cushions for leverage.

"Jacade." Yes, darling, that's my name. You can wear it out, but only if you're draining my cock.

Her tits bounce and her areolas darken. The tension builds with each thrust. Her chest bows, and her eyes roll back in her head. Her tight pussy clenches my dick like a Chinese finger trap and doesn't let go. She's driving me berserk.

I pull her other leg on my shoulder and impale deep inside her with ruthless determination. I hold back as long as I can. She grunts, and her pussy contracts in a series of quick, short pulses around my cock. My orgasm rocks through me like a landslide. I shoot my come deep into her womb.

Fuck. Me.

She trembles beneath me as I slow my pace but continue to propel into her to draw out our orgasms. I rear up on my knees and gaze between us. My post-come insertions trickle out of her pussy and down her inner thighs.

Fucking hot.

Keeping my cock inside her, I throw her right leg over my head and curl up on the couch behind her. I wrap my arms around her, and she sighs as she laces her fingers in mine.

Bernard can wait. I'm not leaving my naked woman yet. She's safe and sound and exactly where I want her. I plant a kiss on her clammy cheekbone and squeeze her closer as sleep overtakes us both.